The Cure
by undercoverklainer
Summary: Nineteen year old Blaine Anderson is thrown into this mess of a world alone and scared. Struggling for survival, he meets up with Kurt Hummel, another boy who is fighting to live. What he didn't know was what a big part of his life this wild-eyed boy was about to become. Zombie Apocalypse!Klaine AU, rated M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

The sunlight shone down through the leaves in the trees, bringing Blaine back to consciousness. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the light, and ran his fingers through his hair. The curls had escaped from the gel that had previously held them down, and there were now a few twigs stuck in amongst them. _Well, that's what I get for sleeping on the ground, I guess,_ he thought.

He had spent all of yesterday running, fearing for his life. This whole situation felt so unreal, it was almost as if he was just dreaming. The scratches on his legs said otherwise. The cuts were now stinging painfully, letting Blaine know that what he was experiencing was most definitely real. The wound had stopped bleeding, and had scabbed over. It didn't look particularly dangerous.

But what unsettled Blaine the most was how he got it.

He climbed up the nearest tree, just to be safe, and let the events of the last few days replay in his mind for what must have been the hundredth time…

* * *

"Coop?" Blaine knocked on his brother's door yet again. He was becoming more worried with each passing second. "Cooper!"

His brother had been particularly distraught this week, and Blaine didn't blame him. Cooper's been spending most of his time in the hospital with his girlfriend of five years, Sarah, who had been getting a new treatment to fight against her cancer.

Sarah had been diagnosed with breast cancer 10 months ago, and had since endured surgery after surgery, and excessive amounts of radiation and chemotherapy. None had worked. Cooper had become a shell of himself, but that didn't keep him from supporting his girlfriend through the whole ordeal.

It was a month since a researcher from the AACR had confidentially approached the couple and reported that they thought a cure had been found. They were going to make it available to anyone who requested it, but they had first needed a few people to test it on.

Sarah had been one of them.

She was elated, but Cooper had been worried to death. Sarah was not a test subject, and he didn't want her to be treated like one. But after the two had sat down for a _long_ talk, they decided that maybe she should take the opportunity. After all, it could work and then they could live their lives as planned.

Sarah began getting the treatment, and after two weeks the amount of cancer cells appeared to be shrinking. The cure was deemed a success, and became available to use worldwide.

Cooper had just come back from visiting Sarah in the hospital, and Blaine was waiting to hear the news. Unfortunately, this didn't seem like it was going to happen any time soon, _because Cooper was refusing to answer his damn door._

"Coop? Are you okay?"

The door opened, just a crack, and Cooper's eye peered out from behind it. It looked bloodshot and panicked.

"Blaine? Are you alone?"

Blaine looked back at his brother with a look of confusion on his face. "Uh, yeah? Why—"

"Shh! Lower your voice. Have you been outside yet today? Talked to anybody?"

"No, Coop. Is this a joke?"

"Just come in."

The door opened a little further, just enough for Blaine to step inside. As soon as he made it inside the room, Cooper shut the door and locked it.

"What's going on? Is it Sarah? Is she okay?" Blaine's mind started jumping to the worst possible solutions.

"It is Sarah. She…she's not well." Cooper walked to his closet and began taking out clothes. He stuffed them into the open duffle bag on his bed.

Blaine's eyes widened with alarm.

"Cooper! You're not running away are you? I know you're upset about Sarah but you can't—"

"I'm not running away Blaine!" Then he added, in a much quieter voice, "…You are."

"Coop, what the hell is going on?"

"Shh! Don't raise your voice like that. Just let me explain…"

Cooper led his brother over to the bed, and began to talk in a rushed voice.

"Look, B, I don't have much time to explain this, so please don't interrupt. When I went to see Sarah, she wasn't in her room. They had her contained with a few others in this big locked room."

Blaine gasped. "Coop, that's horrible! Why—"

"Shut up! I said no interrupting. Anyway, I started screaming at the doctors. I was mad as hell. They said that the researcher had come back; you know, the one who talked to us about the cure? He brought a bunch of statistics with him. They all showed that the treatment had backfired on all the patients; their cells were started to grow back, even more than before. Only now, they weren't even cancer."

"These cells were stronger, reinforced versions. It's a whole new disease, and it's _contagious_. Apparently, the only way it can be caught is through transfer of bodily fluids, like blood and saliva and stuff. That's why I asked if you had interacted with anyone today."

Cooper took a shaky breath. "Over five million people were treated, B. And then those people spread the disease to others. They don't know how many people have it now, but it's estimated to be a little less than half the earth's population. And it's only been three and a half weeks."

"Not everyone was strong enough to handle it. Those that weren't died within the next few days. Those that _were_… Well, they've changed. They're not exactly _human_ anymore. I mean, they're still in the same bodies, but they're _mindless_. _Barbaric_. They…they've turned into this sort of cannibal race, Blaine. They don't know what they're doing, they just _slaughter_. That's what happened to Sarah. She's…not Sarah anymore."

Blaine just stared at him, stunned. How was this happening? Why was this happening? He was only nineteen; he wasn't ready to face this. What if someone close to him catches this disease?

And then it dawned on him. What if someone close to him already _did_?

"Coop! Oh my god. Did you—"

Cooper looked up at him, tears in his eyes. "I kissed her, Blaine. I didn't even care that I would turn into this sort of _zombie_. I have to be with her. I just love her so much. I don't care what she is, all I know is that _I love her_."

The tears threatening to fall from Blaine's eyes finally did. He didn't want to be brave anymore, he just wanted to curl up and cry into his brother's shoulder like he did every other time something had upset him. But this wasn't like some bully beating him up, or his parents making him feel hopeless. This was something that neither of them could fight.

Cooper began to talk again, his throat raspy from crying. "That's why you need to run away Blaine. I have enough stuff packed to keep you going for a little while. Medicine, a first aid kit, water, canned food, a can opener, some cooking supplies, lots of warm and waterproof clothes, soap, a lighter and matches. There are a few weapons there, in case you need to use them. I packed dad's hunting knife and rifle."

Blaine coughed, but nodded. "What about mom and dad, Coop? What about _you_?"

"Mom and dad don't matter right now, okay? They're adults, they can fend for themselves. You worry about _you_." Cooper took a deep breath. "And as for me, well…" He glanced towards their father's smaller gun that was laid out on his bed.

"Cooper, no! You… you can't! I need you." Blaine's voice cracked and the tears began to flow even stronger.

Coop began to cry as well. "I have to, B. I can't risk it; I'll end up hurting someone. And I know this sounds ridiculous and selfish, but I don't want to live if I can't have Sarah. I feel incomplete. Like half of my soul is missing."

Blaine never really understood the way Cooper and Sarah loved each other. It was almost as if they were actually the same person, just separated into different bodies. He always hoped he would find someone who he could love like that, but now he doesn't know if he'll ever be able to.

But right now, Blaine had to focus on being brave for his brother. "Cooper. I—I love you. I really don't know what else to say right now, just… thank you. For everything. I honestly don't think I'd even be here right now if it wasn't for you."

Cooper bit his lip. "I really want to hug you right now, but I can't. I'm too afraid. You have to live. That's the only though that comforts me, you know. The thought of you growing up, strong and healthy, married to the guy of your dreams."

Blaine closed his eyes and broke down into another fit of sobs. He reached out to touch his brother but Cooper slapped his hand away.

When Blaine looked up at him, he saw Cooper staring off into the distance, his body convulsing violently.

"Blaine, _run_. Just, get out of here, I—I think it's—"

"Coop!"

"Find somewhere to stay. Make sure you're alone. Don't trust _anyone_. And stay safe. Courage, Blaine, remember that?" Cooper's eyes rolled back into his head and his hand reached for the gun. "I—I love y—"

Cooper didn't seem to be able to talk anymore, but he kept gesturing for Blaine to _get out_. Blaine grabbed the bag and turned to run downstairs, tears still running down his face. He reached out to Cooper one more time, but his brother turned to him with an angry, empty look in his eyes. Blaine just stood there, shocked by the change in his brother.

Suddenly, Cooper lashed out at Blaine, growling. Blaine tried to push him off, but Cooper latched on to his leg, leaving deep scratches in his flesh. Blaine screamed, dropping the bag and instead using his hands to grab his brother by the hair and pull him off his leg. Without another second's hesitation, Blaine scooped up the bag and ran down the stairs.

He hastily grabbed his jacket and shoved on his shoes. As he was running out of the house and shutting the door behind him, he heard the gun shot and knew that it was over.

Except it wasn't over. Not for Blaine. Never for Blaine.

He kept on running. He was trying to focus on the best place to stay, and he decided that he should try to get out of the city.

By the time he made it to the outskirts of Westerville, he had a throbbing headache and his legs felt like they were going to give out from underneath him. But the extra rush of adrenaline helped him to keep running.

It was dark when Blaine reached the small wooded area. Figuring he was concealed, he dropped down on the leaf-covered ground and finally gave himself a chance to rest. His tongue was dry, and he figured that he was dehydrated.

Blaine opened up his bag, and rummaged around looking for water. He could look through it more thoroughly tomorrow. After taking a few big gulps of water, Blaine let himself collapse against the ground and fall asleep.

* * *

Blaine found another tear making its way down his cheek as he remembered what had happened to Cooper. He swiftly brushed it away with the sleeve of his jacket.

_Time to suck it up, Blaine. This is life now. Deal with it._

Blaine shook his head to clear his thoughts. Maybe it was a good idea to go through the bag and see what was in it.

Blaine climbed down from the branch he was sitting on, and took a few long looks around to make sure he was still alone. He was.

He retrieved his bag from where he had hidden it inside a flowering bush. Pulling back the zipper, he reached his hand in and pulled out the first object inside.

His father's rifle.

Blaine stroked his hand across the smooth gun, admiring it. _This_, he thought, _could be the very thing that keeps me alive_.

When he looked into the bag again, he was relieved to see that Cooper had also packed a bunch of extra bullets. At least Blaine had something to protect himself with, even if he didn't know how to use it. There would be plenty of time to practice later.

Blaine reached in again, and one by one he took out every item from the duffle bag and examined it. Like Cooper had said, the bag had been stuffed to the brim with everything that would help Blaine to survive for the next little while. He would have to restock eventually, but right now that was the least of his worries.

Amongst the various cooking and medical supplies, Blaine had also found a folded up piece of tarp, and a few extra bags. He looked towards his supplies and let out a sigh of relief. He didn't know where he'd be without Cooper.

A pang of sadness echoed in Blaine's heart when he realized that Cooper was gone. His older brother had been the most constant thing in Blaine's life, and now he was going to have to give that up. He knew that it was going to take a lot to get over it.

Blaine packed everything neatly into the bag and put it up into the tree, leaving out a bar of soap and an old woollen cardigan that he was going to have to use for a towel. He had passed a river on the way here, only a little while back in the woods. He could hear the running water from where he sat.

_Maybe a bath will do me good._ Blaine thought as he took off towards the direction of the river. He hoped that the water would be able to wash away both the grime covering his body and his troubles.

He thought only one thing when he heard the rustling and groaning sound coming from the bushes behind him.

_I'm screwed._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I never realized how difficult it could be writing without having any dialogue! With Blaine on his own, there's no one he can talk to. But don't worry, he'll be meeting up with a certain someone else soon enough ;)**

**Without further ado, here's chapter two!**

* * *

"Shit!" Blaine immediately clasped a hand over his mouth, silently cursing himself for being so stupid. If the creature hadn't heard him before, the sound had most definitely alerted him of Blaine's presence.

He quickly tied the old cardigan around his waist and shoved the soap in his pocket. He was going to need both hands for this. He was about to quietly make his way back to his tree when whatever was making the sounds jumped out from the bushes and stared him right in the eye. Blaine was left breathless with shock.

The creature was male, average height, with a stocky build. But it wasn't his body that gave him away as different. It was the _eyes_.

They had sunken back into their sockets, and the iris had turned crimson and become cloudy. The pupils were now slits, and they appeared more cat-like than human. Blaine was frozen as the eyes kept staring him down; it looked as if they could see right through him.

When the creature took a step forward, it took a moment for Blaine to react. But when he did, we was running at full force.

Blaine's heart was racing. _I can't die. Not now. Or worse, turn into one of them._ It scared him to think that this was what Sarah had become, what Cooper _would have_ become.

If he hadn't killed himself.

The realization of it all made Blaine stumble with shock, but as quickly as he fell he was back on his feet again and making his way back to the campsite. He would have time to think about all this later.

Soon enough, he made it back. He climbed up the tree quickly and opened the bag in one swift movement, pulling out his father's rifle. It was already loaded. Blaine let out a sigh of relief.

The relief was only temporary. Blaine's nerves came back full-force as the creature burst through the bushes and began clawing at the base of the tree. He took a deep breath, steadied the gun, and let out a shot towards the groaning form.

It hit it in the shoulder. The creature took a few steps backwards, but the bullet didn't seem to do any real damage, and the wound wasn't bleeding. Even though Blaine's mind was panicked and hazy, it was still hard at work. And after a few minutes, Blaine _got it_.

_It didn't work because the creature didn't have any blood to lose_. He was targeting the wrong place altogether. To kill it, Blaine would have to get rid of the very flesh itself. But how?

Blaine looked around anxiously. Would he even be able to kill this thing? He certainly wasn't trained for it. He racked his brain for any possible solution. _You've read some pretty crazy science fiction books before, right? Did any tell you how to kill a zombie?_

Maybe he could hack the thing to pieces? It was dangerous, but worth a shot. At this point, Blaine didn't have anything left to lose. But as he was reaching in to grab the knife, his fingers brushed against something else, something a lot more deadly that could certainly destroy flesh a lot quicker than a small knife.

_The matches. _He could kill the creature with _fire._

Without a second thought, Blaine pulled out a single match from the package and quickly lit it. The flame was tiny, but Blaine knew that even the tiniest spark could start a forest fire. This could be the little flame that saves his life.

He flicked the match down at the creature, but it simply bounced off and fell to the ground, flickering out in an instant. From this angle, Blaine doesn't think he could reach any of its more vulnerable spots. Suddenly another idea hit him. _Thank god for adrenaline rushes._

He would catch the creature on fire from the inside. That would probably be a lot more effective, anyway. Getting the match in would be a problem though. How does one feed a match to a zombie?

Blaine thought for a while, and the idea of actually getting out of the tree to face the creature was definitely out of the question. He was going to have to try to lower the match down on a stick.

He snapped a decent-sized branch off the tree from above him, and carved a little hole in the tip of it where the match would go. Taking another match from the box and lighting it, Blaine hoped that this one would work. There were only 40 matches in the box, and he had to make his supplies last. He stuck it in the little groove in the wood, and began lowering the stick down to the ground. When the creature saw the fire approaching, it let out a high pitched scream and ran backwards a few feet.

Blaine sighed. Was he going to be stuck in this tree forever? _Fishing for zombies is harder than one would think,_ he thought sarcastically. _Wait. Wait a minute…_

_Fishing_. Fisherman used bait! Blaine just needed something to attract the creature to the stick. Then maybe, _hopefully_, he would be free to get out of this goddamn tree and find some place that wasn't infested with these monsters.

But what would he use for bait? His own flesh was out of the question, but maybe _blood_? That was easy enough to get.

Blaine stuffed one fist in his mouth and bit down hard as the other hand went down to the cut on his leg. He made quick work of it, scratching away the scab and letting the blood start to flow freely again. He picked up the stick and rubbed it over his leg, wincing, but making sure that the tip was completely covered in blood.

When that was done, Blaine took his third match out of the box and lit it, once again placing it on the stick. But this time as he lowered it down, the creature took some interest in it, no doubt attracted by the fresh blood. Suddenly it lunged towards the stick, taking it in his mouth and biting off the blood-covered tip, match and all.

Blaine sat still as a statue from his place in the tree, waiting. Waiting for something, _anything_, to happen. And soon enough, it did. The creature began to clutch at its chest and make agonized groaning sounds, louder than the ones before. After a few minutes, the smell of burning flesh hit Blaine's nostrils, and he had to hold his breath to keep from vomiting.

When the blisters started appearing on the outside of the creature's skin, Blaine had to look away. It was all too much, and he felt like he was going to be sick. The air was filled with smoke and an acrid stench, and the creatures wailing pierced Blaine's ears. After about thirty long, disturbing minutes, he decided to chance taking a peek over at the burning form.

To his relief, the creature was now pretty much reduced to ashes. Its cries had stopped, but the terrible smell lingered in the air.

Blaine put the matches back in the bag and slung it over his shoulder before making his way back down the tree trunk. He figured it would be best to move on to a new area now; he didn't think he'd be able to sleep in this very tree with all of the memories of what had just happened there.

He thought back to his days as a boy scout, after his father had forced him to go into the program. He knows that he must have learned a lot about survival, but that was _so long ago_, and many of the memories escape him.

One thing he remembered, though, was that it was important to stay hydrated. Without water, your body cannot function.

Blaine turned towards the direction of the river. He had already found a fresh water source, which was a good start. As long as he kept the river close by, he should be able to find a supply of water, vegetation, and game to hunt. Now all he needed was a campsite.

With that thought in mind, Blaine set out towards the river for the second time that day. With any luck, he wouldn't get himself almost killed this time.

* * *

Blaine was sitting around the small campfire he had made by the river, watching a pot of water boil. His tongue was dry and he was desperate for water, but he knew that he had to wait for the water to be purified. He spent his wait gutting and scaling the two tiny fish he had somehow managed to catch with his hands. He found a branch, stuck it through the fish, and began to roast them over the flames.

After a little while, Blaine figured that the water was now safe to drink. He tried to wait for it to cool down a bit, but he became too impatient and began to swallow the liquid warm. It was still just as refreshing, especially to someone who was close to becoming dehydrated again.

He spent the next half hour or so eating his fish and drinking as much water as he pleased. It wasn't as satisfying as the packaged food and water that he had in his bag, but Blaine had decided early on that _that_ food should be saved for when there wasn't anything else available.

He finished his meal, and lay back on the ground for a few minutes. When he closed his eyes, all he could hear was the sound of rushing water and the birds above him chirping happily. When he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend that life was normal again.

Blaine imagined he was just out for a picnic with his family. His parents were arguing with him again, which was no surprise. He and Cooper had run off to get away, and his brother would reassure him that _yes_, his parents did love him. They just didn't know how to show it.

Blaine let out a deep sigh. Coop had always been the only one able to cheer him up. He wondered what would happen now. Who would he go to when he was upset? He was alone.

_Snap out of it, Blaine_, he thought to himself. He tried to make himself believe that the best thing to do right now would be to forget about his feelings altogether and just focus on survival.

Getting up from his spot on the ground, Blaine decided that he should try a second attempt at getting a bath in the river. The soap was still in his pocket, and still good to use. He grabbed his makeshift towel and walked to the riverbed once again. This time he wasn't interrupted.

He quickly stripped himself of his clothes and laid them over a large rock. He stepped into the river, the icy water like tiny pinpricks on his toes. But no matter how cold it was, the feeling of running water on his body was refreshing and he felt some of his worries wash away with the stream.

He had made it this far. He had encountered one of the infected, and _lived_! These thoughts were what comforted Blaine, and maybe even gave him a little bit of hope. Maybe he could adapt to this new, messed up world. Maybe he could still live his dreams. He would survive, both for himself and Cooper.

He finished washing himself quickly, and stepped out of the freezing water as quickly as possible. He dried his body with the old cardigan, and put on his clothes once again.

When he got back to the fire, he looked around. As peaceful and comfortable as this place was, it just didn't seem safe enough. Anyone could easily walk in at any time, and there weren't many decent spots for Blaine to hide. He was going to have to continue downstream, and find a better campsite.

Blaine put out the fire and covered it with leaves and dirt, trying to disguise the fact that someone had been here. He packed up his stuff and started walking again without looking back.

* * *

**A/N: Just a heads-up, I will be trying to update this story every Friday, but don't be too surprised if you get the chapter a few days early or a few days late!**

**~Emily**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This one's a bit shorter, because I'm a sucker for cliffhangers! Hehe, I shall say I'm sorry in advance :) Also thank you to anyone who's reading this! I started writing this for me, but it means a lot that others are enjoying it too :) On with the chapter!**

* * *

Blaine had been walking for another few days, though he wasn't sure exactly. The time just seemed to be slipping by him. It was nearing dawn and he was thinking about stopping for a little while to eat a meal when he saw the light glinting off something in the distance. Intrigued by finally seeing something that wasn't trees or rocks, Blaine immediately began to walk towards it. As he got closer, he saw that what had caught his eye was actually a sign.

It read '_Lima, Ohio_'.

Blaine had to take a couple of glances at it before he realized what those words meant. _He had reached a city. There might be real, genuine, people!_

But his hopes were crushed as soon as he saw the smaller, cardboard sign next to the first one that read '_DO NOT ENTER: INFECTION_'. So it had reached this town, too. Blaine wasn't really all that surprised; if he was to go by what Cooper had told him, most of the earth would be infected at this point. He still found that thought hard to believe.

He decided to take a chance and explore the city a bit. It looked mostly deserted, with only a few cars and bicycles scattered around the seats. There weren't any people in sight, but Blaine was hoping desperately that he could find a companion. Even if they were just to talk for a little while before parting ways again. Blaine hadn't heard his own voice (or anyone else's, for that matter) in a number of days, and it was beginning to make him go a bit crazy with loneliness.

_Maybe I could restock some of my supplies here? _Blaine was running low on certain items, such as water and matches. If he could find some while he was here, it would be great.

A quick look around him told Blaine that none of these buildings were stores; just houses and apartments. The only business Blaine could see was a dusty looking shop that was named '_Hummel Tires and Lube_', and he highly doubted he would find and groceries in there.

_But you might find other things that you could use as weapons._ Another, wilder, part of Blaine's brain reminded him. It scared him sometimes how his stream of thought had changed since he was forced into this situation. It was like he was in some sort of survival mode _all the time_, and his most of his thoughts consisted of how he was going to stay alive. And sometimes those thoughts were _violent_. On more than one occasion Blaine had thought up different methods of killing the infected if they attacked, and he was always left guilty and disgusted with himself afterwards.

But sometimes being prepared and having a few spare weapons is a good thing. Blaine walked through the open door to the garage, looking around to see if he could find a crowbar of some sort.

Then something caught his eye. A trail of large, recently painted red arrows were laid out in a path that went across the garage floor and under a different door. Once again, Blaine's curiosity got the best of him and he decided to follow the trail. It had to be there for a reason, right? No one would come back to a deserted town just to paint arrows on the floor. They had to have been put there within the last few hours, Blaine guessed, because the bright red liquid was still wet to the touch. _Strange._

Pushing back the door, Blaine expected to see something surprising. But the room he entered was just as bland as the one before. It's only contents consisted of an old desk and a worn, moth-eaten armchair.

He walked over the desk and saw that on top of it lay a single piece of paper. Blaine picked it up and unfolded it, knowing by the first few words that this was what was meant to be found at the end of the trail. Blaine began to read.

_Dear Dad (or whoever else might be reading this letter), _

_If you found this then you must have followed my trail! I tried to make it something discreet that would only be noticed by humans… _

_I really hope you are still here to read this. I'm trying to stay alive, but it's difficult, and I'm not going to lie, it's pretty damn terrifying. Oh, and gross. I've been wearing the same shirt for days now. But that's beside the point._

_Rachel and I took a plane back here the day we found out about the infection, and she's been studying it ever since. She concluded that these beings were more mindless, and weren't as perceptive as humans are. For example, they wouldn't have noticed my arrows. And either they can't read or just don't care to read, but they aren't going to get this letter._

_We're going to be heading towards New York again, and then towards the ocean. We don't know where we are going to end up from there, but at least we have a start. I brought the car, and I suggest that if you're going to follow us that you bring one too._

_I'm going to be parking my car outside of OSU in Columbus, and sleeping inside the building. I'll stay here for a week to wait for you, and if you don't show up then I guess I'll know you're gone._

_I'll be waiting for you, dad. Always. I love you._

_-Kurt_

Blaine started blankly at the letter for a few moments, letting his brain soak up the words. There was another human boy, and he was close by! Blaine checked the date on the letter. _May 25__th__, 2014. _Was that today? It must have been, the wet paint had shown that this _Kurt_ had been here just hours before!

Blaine found himself wanted to jump for joy. _He could meet up with another person._

Part of his brain told him to slow _down, you're going to fast_. He doesn't know if this boy is safe to trust or still alive even. Was this letter just a fake made to draw humans in to the enemy? Was Kurt even real? There were so many things that should have seemed bad or suspicious about this situation, but when Blaine read over the words all he could see was a genuine person, one just like him, who had been thrown out into this world to survive. He knew it was risky, but he knew that he had to trust this boy's words.

He read over the letter again. Kurt was going to Columbus, with some _Rachel_ person. Maybe his girlfriend. _I could go to Columbus,_ Blaine thought. He would be going back to where he came from, but he would be meeting up with more _people_, and maybe getting a start towards the ocean was a good idea anyway.

_I brought the car, and I suggest that if you're going to follow us that you bring one too._

Blaine didn't even have a car, but he knew that Kurt was giving good advice. If he walked back, chances are he wouldn't make it in a week and Kurt would be long gone by the time he reached it. He was going to have to steal someone's car.

It was something Blaine would have never dreamed of just a month ago. He tried to convince himself that no, it isn't actually stealing if no one owns it. No one's going to care anyway.

He walked back out to the garage area and looked around for a set of car keys. There were a few lying around, as well as a few cars, but he had no idea which belonged to which.

Blaine picked up all the keys, brought them over to the sturdiest looking car, and began to try opening the car with each. Eventually, he found one that worked. He hopped in the car and turned on the engine, driving the vehicle a few feet forwards and deciding that it was good enough to drive. He got back out to pack up all of his supplies and through them in the back seat, before quickly turning back to the tool wall, grabbing a crowbar, and throwing that in also.

He looked around the garage for containers of gasoline, and was pleased to find a bunch over in the far corner. He stuffed them into the trunk. He was going to need to refuel at some point during his drive.

Blaine spent the next half hour going in and out of houses on the same street, collecting as much bottles and jugs of water as he could. He wasn't sure when he was going to find another fresh water source, so he figured it was best to be prepared.

When Blaine thought that he had enough to keep him going for a while, he got back into the driver's seat of the car, and began heading towards Columbus.

* * *

Driving had proved to be a lot quicker (and _way_ less exhausting) than walking had been. It had only taken about two hours of non-stop driving to reach Columbus, whereas it had taken Blaine _days_ on foot. He had never been more thankful for a car than he was in that moment, as the rainclouds started to form over his head and the faint rumble of thunder was heard.

Blaine had left the actual letter back at the tire shop, in case the boy's dad showed up to read it. But he _had _written down an extra copy that he could reference if he needed to. He looked down at the hastily scribbled words for reassurance, and continued driving in the direction of the Ohio State University.

* * *

When Blaine pulled up outside the building, there was only one other vehicle there. _That must belong to Kurt,_ Blaine thought as he admired the Navigator.

_Oh my god, I'm about to see people. Am I ready for this?_

Blaine spent a good five minutes staying in his car, taking deep breaths and trying not to freak out, before he brought himself around to open the door and get out.

He could almost hear Cooper's voice inside his head, repeating yet again the words that had been uttered to him so many times. _Courage, Blaine. You can do this._

He walked up to the door, took a deep breath and turned the handle, taking a tentative step inside.

What he didn't expect was to be pushed up against the wall with a dagger against his throat, and two wild, blue eyes glaring down into his.

* * *

**A/N: ... See you all again next Friday!**

**~Emily**


	4. Chapter 4

_What he didn't expect was to be pushed up against the wall with a dagger against his throat, and two wild, blue eyes glaring down into his._

* * *

"Wait—No! Get off of me! I'm not one of them—I'm human!" Blaine tried to push the boy off of him without pushing the knife any closer to his neck. His voice was raspy after not using it for days.

"Then who are you?" The boy replied simply, his voice high-pitched, clear, and _menacing_. Quite frankly, he was scaring Blaine a bit.

"B-Blaine Anderson! Could you please let go of me now? I think I'd be able to explain a bit more without a blade against my throat."

The boy's eyes seemed to soften a bit as he realized that Blaine wasn't a threat. "Oh…sorry." He lifted the dagger away from Blaine and let him down from the wall.

Blaine took a few steps back from the other boy, visibly shaken. Kurt spoke up again.

"I really am sorry. I just have to be careful, you know? I wasn't sure if you were one of…_them_."

Blaine looked towards the other boy again. "It's okay, really. I probably would have done the same." A pause. "Hey, are you Kurt by any chance? I was in Lima and I came across this letter signed by Kurt that was supposedly coming to Columbus to—"

The boy cut off Blaine with a small smile. "Yes, I'm Kurt. Kurt Hummel. You found my letter?"

"The one addressed to your dad?" Kurt nodded. "Then yes, I found your letter."

Kurt sighed and sat down on the concrete floor. "…Y-you didn't see my dad by any chance, did you?"

Blaine shook his head. "No, I didn't, I'm really sorry."

"I kind of figured as much…" He stood back up and began walking further back into the building.

"Wait!" Blaine called after him. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know. Why should it matter to you?"

Blaine took a second to think about this question. Why _should_ it matter to him? Kurt obviously didn't want his company. Maybe he'd be better off on his own.

"I-I don't know. This is the first time I've spoken to someone else in a while, and I was kind of hoping that you'd let me stick around for a bit, I guess."

Kurt whipped around so he was facing Blaine. The kind look Blaine had seen in his eyes earlier was gone, replaced by a look so cold it made Blaine flinch. "Look, I don't know what you want from me, but I'm most certainly not going to let you stick around for _company_. I don't know who you are, where you come from, and what you might do if I let you stay. So unless you know of some way to help us, please leave and let us go on with our lives."

Blaine was taken aback. He didn't expect that reaction. He replied, rather timidly, "I'm sorry, I'll just…go."

He was about to turn around and leave when another person entered the room.

"Wait! Kurt, what were you saying to him? He looks terrified." The new arrival was a tiny girl with long dark hair that was tied back in a messy ponytail.

"He would just get in the way if we kept him around, Rach. I was just telling him to leave."

The girl, who Blaine was guessing was the 'Rachel' from the letter, dragged Kurt to the corner of the room and the two began talking in hushed tones. Blaine didn't need to hear any words to know that they were talking about him.

While they were distracted, Blaine took the opportunity to walk quietly towards the door. He figured he might as well leave now; it would stop a lot of unnecessary drama from happening. But Rachel must have heard him, because before he could turn the doorknob and leave she turned around quickly and pointed in his direction.

"Don't go anywhere! Just let us settle this out." And with that she was back to her conversation with Kurt.

Rachel's voice was loud and confident, and Blaine could imagine that being around the girl for a long time could sometimes be irritating. But all of that aside, she seemed friendly enough. A lot friendlier than Kurt, anyway.

Blaine listened to her, though, and didn't try to leave again. After a few minutes of standing there awkwardly not knowing what to do, Rachel and Kurt stopped talking. He figured that Rachel had won the argument, judging by the way Kurt threw his arms up in the air and stormed out of the room.

Rachel caught his eye, and he nervously smiled at her. She smiled back in return, and began making her way over to him.

"Blaine, right?" He nodded. She gestured towards a little worn out couch. Blaine got the hint and sat down, Rachel immediately plopping down next to him.

"I'm so sorry about that. Kurt's not usually like that, I swear! It's just that lately he's been really anxious waiting for his dad…" She trailed off, and looked down at her hands.

Blaine bit his lip. "Can I tell you something? Promise not to get too mad, and _please_ don't tell Kurt I said this, but… I don't think his dad's going to show. I went through Lima, and the place was deserted. Unless he was hiding really well or in some other town, then…"

Rachel nodded, and said sadly, "Yeah, I thought that, too. When we went back to Lima yesterday we really were expecting to see him! But no one was there at all…"

After that things got silent between them. Blaine hardly knew this girl at all, and after being bullied so much he wasn't used to making friends. Luckily, Rachel seemed rather good at making small talk.

"So, what have you been doing all this time? How did you find the letter?"

Blaine let out a tired sigh, and began to recount his journey so far. "Well, when I found out about the epidemic I took off right away. I kept walking for days, not going in any particular direction. Then I turned up in Lima, and that's where I found the letter."

He decided to keep his story short, and leave out Cooper altogether. That was more private to talk about, and he didn't feel like telling Rachel the more important details about his life just yet.

"And you decided to come here and find us?" Rachel inquired.

"Well, yeah. I hadn't seen any people in about a week, and if I'm being honest, I was getting lonely. I thought that maybe you guys would have wanted some company, too. But now I don't really know—"

Rachel interrupted him, speaking quickly and reassuringly. "No! It's okay that you came to us because you were lonely! I appreciate your company, I do. It's great to talk to new people! Kurt just—"

"Doesn't want me here."

Rachel opened her mouth and closed it again, trying to find the right thing to say. She sighed. "Yeah, pretty much. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I understand completely. He was hoping for his father, but instead he got… me." Blaine looked down at his hands and tried not to let Rachel see the sadness in his face. He was such a disappointment. No one wanted him around. Not his parents, not his classmates, and not Kurt. He completely understood.

"I'm sure he'd warm up to you after a little while." Rachel smiled at him. It wasn't convincing.

"I don't know if he'll get the chance to. I think I'm just going to head out again." He paused and looked towards the girl and gave her a smile, hoping that it looked genuine. "You've been nice to talk to, Rachel. Thank you."

He stood up and began to walk towards the door again. Rachel jumped up and ran in front of him, blocking his way.

"You're just going to leave like that? We haven't even gotten to know each other well yet!"

"You…wanted to get to know me?" Blaine said timidly. Oh no. This is not good. The last time a girl had said that to him she'd tried to make Blaine go out with her. Even after he'd told her that _no, he doesn't like girls like that_, she had continued to flirt with him and ask him out on dates like nothing had happened.

Rachel nodded enthusiastically and put her hand on his shoulder. "You seem really nice and I think that we could become pretty close if you stayed and gave me a chance."

"Um… Rachel, I'm really sorry but I'm—"

"Gay? Yeah, I know."

Blaine stared at her, confused. "Wait, what? How did you—?"

"I can just tell. Don't ask. And let me clarify: I want to get to know you better because I think we could be good _friends_."

Blaine smiled at the girl. He was still kind of bewildered (and a tiny bit creeped out), but Rachel was nice, and honestly he could see them becoming friends as well.

She took her hand off his shoulder but still didn't let him pass. "Please, Blaine, just stay for the night at least? We have food, and the university was hooked up to a generator so we still have running water and electricity. We're not sure how long it's going to last, though…"

Blaine took in the offer. He still felt like he would be invading Kurt's privacy if he stayed here, but he would be lying if he said he didn't want to spend the night.

"I'll stay. Just for one night though, I don't want to bother you guys for too long."

Rachel's smile only grew at Blaine's words. "Great!" She grabbed him by the hand and began showing him around the university.

Before long, they made it to the dorms.

"This is where we are staying. It has food, beds, bathrooms… What else could we ask for?"

Blaine peeked in through the open door of the dorm room closest to him. It was small, but it seemed like a bed fit for a king to Blaine, who had been sleeping on the ground or in trees for the last week. He wanted nothing more than to curl up and fall asleep, but then he remembered something else Rachel had mentioned to him.

"You said there was running water?"

Rachel nodded again, and showed Blaine into the bathroom.

It wasn't particularly clean or well-kept, but there was a shower and it was full of different soaps and shampoos and the sight literally made Blaine gasp.

"Wow, you really haven't been living well these past few days, have you? You're practically salivating over the sight of soap."

Blaine shot Rachel a glare, even though he knew that she was right. "Do you mind if I…?"

"You can go ahead and use whatever you want. This can be your room."

"Thank you _so_ much, this is amazing."

"I'm glad to help!" Rachel turned to leave, but then remembered something. "Oh! Did you bring anything with you? I can take any stuff you have and bring it up here."

Blaine hesitated for a second. Should he trust Rachel with his stuff? She seemed kind enough, so he decided to take the risk. "Yeah, there's a duffel bag in the car I brought. It would be great if you could get it for me, but you really don't need to—"

"No, it's okay! I want to." She replied with a smile.

"Okay. Thanks, Rachel."

And with that, she left.

Blaine stripped himself of all of his dirty clothes and was about to get in the shower when he noticed his reflection in the mirror. He turned so he could see his whole body, and what he saw made him gasp in shock.

His hair was matted and dirty, and there were even branches and leaves sticking out of it. It looked (and felt) like his entire body was covered in a layer of grime. There were cuts and scratches all over his arms, legs, and face, but the one that stuck out the most was where Cooper had scratched his leg. The once-clean wound was now red and puffy. _This can't be good…_

Maybe if he washed it, the cut would heal faster. That seemed like a good idea.

Without a further thought, Blaine stepped into the shower and turned on the water. When the warm stream hit Blaine's chest, he had to hold back a moan it felt so good.

He spent the next ten or so minutes scrubbing his body and hair with the different soaps and shampoos, sighing contently as a week's worth of dirt went down the drain. Then he turned to the cut on his leg.

When the water hit the wound it didn't feel good at all. It _stung_. But Blaine carried on, gently rubbing soap over it and cleaning it as best as he could. When he felt it was enough, Blaine stepped out of the shower and began looking for a towel.

After digging around in a cabinet for a few moments, Blaine successfully found one and began to dry off. He wrapped the towel around his waist, opened the door, and went back into his bedroom.

His bag was laid on the floor by the foot of an armchair, and a clean pair of pyjamas (that weren't his, Rachel probably found them in a drawer somewhere) were set out on his bed. He reminded himself to thank Rachel again later; she really was doing a lot for him.

He quickly changed, and pulled down the covers of his bed. Judging by the sun that was still high in the sky, Blaine guessed that it was only mid-afternoon. But Blaine's eyes were tired, and his whole body was relaxed from the shower, so he decided that a few hours of sleep wouldn't hurt him. He'd wake up later and get something to eat.

He turned off the light and closed the curtains before climbing into the bed and pulling the covers up to his chin. The bed was narrow and he heard the springs creak whenever he shifted his body, but to Blaine it felt like the most luxurious, comfortable bed ever.

Feeling safe for the first time in a week, Blaine let himself drift off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

When Blaine woke up it was still dark, but he could hear birds chirping. It must be morning. He shifted, causing the bed to creak. Blaine ignored it and snuggled back up into the blankets.

If he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend that he was back at home in his own bed. It was comforting, and Blaine felt the tense muscles in his back start to relax. He was just about to drift back off to sleep when the smell of frying bacon alerted his senses.

Would Kurt and Rachel let him stay for breakfast? He was almost afraid to ask; worried that he would be overstaying his welcome. But Blaine was a teenage boy, an _underfed_ teenage boy, and this time his stomach overpowered any of his thoughts.

Blaine quickly slid out of the bed and put on a pair of socks before walking out of the room, still in his pyjamas.

He followed the scent down the hall until he came to a little common room with a kitchen and a few couches. One of those couches was occupied by Kurt, who was reading some magazine. Rachel was by the stove, cooking what smelled like bacon and eggs.

Blaine's stomach growled loudly. Kurt must have heard it because he looked up from what he was reading and giggled at Blaine, who was blushing heavily. After a moment though, Kurt seemed to remember the situation and the icy look returned to his eyes.

"Rachel, he's awake."

Rachel turned around with a large smile on her face. "Blaine, good morning! I'm making breakfast, you're welcome to stay and eat."

Blaine let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and nodded, relieved that Rachel had offered for him to stay. The food really did smell delicious.

He remained silent as Rachel divided the food onto three plates. Along with the bacon and eggs, there was also toast with butter. Blaine's stomach growled again as he took in the sight. This was the first full meal he had eaten in a while, and he wasn't planning on letting any of it go to waste.

The three of them sat down at a small wooden table and began to eat their meals. Kurt and Rachel took small bites, and stopped to chat a few times throughout. Blaine, on the other hand, barely left time to breathe as he shovelled forkfuls of scrambled eggs into his mouth. He knew he must have looked like a pig, but he couldn't help it. He was _starving_.

"Blaine, do you like coffee? I'm about to brew some for Kurt and I, and if you'd like I can make some for you too." Rachel asked, and Blaine swallowed a mouthful of toast before answering her.

"_God_, yes. I'd love to have some, if it isn't too much trouble."

Rachel giggled and turned on the kettle.

* * *

The rest of the morning flew by in an instant, and Blaine kept finding himself wanting to stay in the abandoned university. It was warm and comfortable, with running water and _food_, and Blaine had even made a friend.

The only problem was Kurt.

The boy showed an obvious resentment towards Blaine, and to be honest it made him feel a little uncomfortable. Kurt seemed nice enough when he was talking to Rachel, and she obviously thought of him as a wonderful person, so was it only Blaine that made him act like this?

Yes, Blaine would have loved to stay, but staying in someone's—temporary—home? That was something that he couldn't do without feeling extremely guilty.

Which was why Blaine was in his room, packing away his stuff.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

As soon as the door opened Blaine knew it was Rachel, because she began talking right away.

"So you're leaving?" She didn't try to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Yeah." Blaine replied simply.

"You could get killed out there."

Blaine hummed in agreement as he folded up the pyjama pants and put them in the bag. He was startled when a hairbrush came hurtling by his head. It came from Rachel's direction.

"Blaine, are you even listening to me? You could die out there, and it's dangerous on you own. So why leave?" Blaine remained silent. "Is it because of Kurt?"

Blaine sighed and sat down on his bed, momentarily forgetting about the half-empty bag that needed packing. "Maybe?"

Rachel glared at him.

"Okay, yeah, it is. I'm sorry, I know he's your friend and I'm sure he's a nice guy, but… I know that he doesn't want me here and I don't want to mess up his life any more. His father's missing; he's going through a tough time."

"You're going through a tough time, too."

Blaine stuttered through his reply. "Um—no, actually, I… Wait, can you like, read my mind or something?"

Rachel laughed. "No, I can just tell. You're travelling alone. It must be for a reason."

"Maybe I just like being alone?"

Rachel shook her head. "You don't. You said you came here because you were lonely."

Blaine just stared at her. "Man, you're observant."

"Anyway, my point is that most of our lives are crumbling to pieces right now, and that it might be easier if we stuck together. We're staying here for five more days. You stay with us for that, and then when we leave, we can part ways if that's what you want. But you'll always be welcome to stick with us."

Rachel stuck out her hand. "Deal?"

Blaine shook his head a little, but smiled at the ever-so-persistent girl. "Deal."

* * *

"So, tell me about yourself."

Blaine and Rachel were sitting in the front lobby on lookout while Kurt was visiting a nearby grocery market to restock their supplies.

The question caught Blaine off guard. "Um…"

Rachel smiled at him knowingly. "You're uncomfortable. Here, I'll go first."

Before Blaine could say anything, Rachel had shifted in her chair and began to speak.

"I'm from Lima, where I went to high school with Kurt. When we graduated we both moved to New York. I went to medical school, and Kurt went to Parsons."

"Kurt's a designer?" Blaine didn't know where the question came from; it just sort of popped out.

"Yeah, he studied fashion for two years before the epidemic struck. He was pretty good at it, too! Though you wouldn't be able to tell, lately he's mostly just been wearing t-shirts and jeans…"

Blaine nodded, before continuing on with his questions. "And you went to medical school, huh?"

"Yeah! I was training to be a cancer researcher. I was only a student for two years, but when they thought that the cure had gone wrong, they made everyone—student or not—contribute to the effort and study what had happened. The plan went horribly wrong when we found out it was contagious and half of the doctors went mad…"

"You were a part of the research team? So you must know a bit about how the virus was spread."

"Well, yes, but only a little bit. The virus is spread through the interaction of bodily fluids, like blood or saliva—"

"My brother got it from kissing his girlfriend; she was given the treatment. He…he killed himself before he could hurt anyone…" Blaine trailed off quietly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Rachel reached over and laid a hand on Blaine's shoulder.

"Hate to kill the moment, but I'm back. And I brought alcohol."

The two whipped around to see Kurt standing there with two bags of what seemed like groceries in one hand, and a case of beer in the other. The usual scowl was gone from his face; in place of it a triumphant grin. The smile faltered a bit when his eyes caught Blaine's, but he continued to speak in a happy voice.

"The rest is in the car. I figured we could have a sort of party tonight. I know we both need it, Rach. And by the sounds of it, so does Scruffy over here."

Blaine grunted and self-consciously rubbed his hand over his chin. He hated to say it, but Kurt was right. Blaine hadn't shaved in over a week, and a beard was starting to grow in. He took note to remind himself to shave later.

Rachel turned towards him with a smile on her face. "You want to join us for a few drinks, Blaine? It's going to be fun!"

Blaine looked at Kurt for a second (he didn't seem nearly as angry as he usually did—probably because he found alcohol) and then back to Rachel before replying.

"I'd love to."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**** Okay, first of all I would like to apologize for taking SO DAMN LONG to update. I kinda lost inspiration there for a while and I've been dealing with some issues of my own. But thanks to a wonderful reviewer (you know who you are!) who made me realize I hadn't updated in forever, along with the fact that it's November and even though I'm not doing NaNoWriMo I still want to write _something, _I am back! Hopefully I'll be updating more regularly now :)**

**Thanks to everyone who stuck with this!**

* * *

"I doubt it, Kurt. We're in the middle of an abandoned university, and the walls seem thick enough."

"But what if they do hear it, and come in while we're drunk? What happens then?"

"Just calm down, I'm sure everything's going to be okay."

Blaine sat alone in the corner of the common room, listening as Rachel continued trying to calm her friend down. With only the three of them in the room, it didn't seem like much of a party.

Blaine awkwardly shifted in his bean bag chair and took another sip of beer. Maybe things will loosen up a bit after they've all drank a bit.

Suddenly the sound of loud music filled the room.

"Rachel! _Turn it down!_"

"Okay, okay!" Rachel turned down the dial on the stereo until the music was at a decent volume. Kurt still seemed to be a bit on edge though, as he sat down and tentatively took a mouthful of his drink.

Kurt turned his head and caught Blaine's eye, shooting him a glare. _Gosh, was I staring at him? _Blaine thought, before turning away with a blush.

Rachel seemed to notice the tension between the two, and spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Hey, how about we play a game!"

Kurt smiled at his friend and replied. "As long as it's not 'spin the bottle'. I'm nowhere near drunk enough to kiss either of you."

Rachel let out a giggle and said, "How about 'never have I ever' then?"

"Okay. You up for it, Blaine?"

Blaine nodded. "Sure."

The three sat in a circle on the floor, each with their own drinks in front of them.

"Okay," said Rachel. "I'll start!"

She bit her lip as she racked her brain for a good question before saying, "Never have I ever… gone commando." She giggled, obviously very pleased with herself, as both she and Kurt took a mouthful of their drinks.

She let out a loud hiccup before turning to her friend. "_Really_ Kurt?"

"Have you seen some of the pants I own? They're too tight, the lines would show through!" Kurt retorted.

Rachel replied with an eye roll. "Of course they would."

Blaine couldn't help but smile at the two friends. He wished he could have someone like that, to be close to and spend time with them. His thoughts were cut short when Kurt shouted out the next question.

"Never have I ever gone skinny dipping!"

A few minutes and about a dozen more ridiculous questions later, all three of them were more than a little drunk.

Blaine had never let himself get this drunk and careless before, but maybe it wasn't such a bad thing right now. After all, a little break from the life he was currently leading was refreshing.

Another thing he noticed was that their little 'party' had become a lot less uncomfortable. Everyone—including Kurt—had loosened up a bit thanks to the alcohol, and Blaine was actually _having fun_. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a good time.

"Okay, okay, it's my turn…" Rachel slurred. "Never have I ever had a boyfriend."

Rachel quickly took a big gulp, before glaring at her friend. Kurt let out a sigh before…taking a mouthful of his drink?

Wait.

Wait a second.

It took a second for Blaine's mind to catch up, but when it did, there were thoughts flying everywhere. _Kurt's had a boyfriend? A boyfriend! So Kurt's gay, too? Is that a good thing?_

He glanced towards Kurt, who was blushing and staring down at his cup. Blaine smiled at the sight before tearing his eyes away with a scowl.

_Oh, fuck. This isn't good. I can't fall for him, it's too dangerous. Besides, I don't even like Kurt, and he _hates _me. I don't think he's cute; it has to be the alcohol talking._

Blaine sighed. Maybe it was best to stop over-thinking everything.

At that exact moment, Rachel drained her bottle of beer and began staring at it longingly. Then, her whole face lit up as she exclaimed, "We can play spin the bottle now! You're drunk enough, right Kurt?"

Kurt hiccupped before answering. "Yeah, but why would you even want to kiss either of us?"

Rachel slapped him before passing the empty bottle to Blaine. "Here, Blainey, you go first."

"Umm…" he tried to protest, tried to push the bottle back into Rachel's hands, but his efforts were proved useless.

He hesitantly placed the bottle on the ground, took a deep breath, and spun it. Then he closed his eyes, not wanting to see who the bottle had landed on. When he heard Rachel's soft giggling, he knew that the bottle must have reached its stop.

He slowly opened his eyes to see that the bottle had landed between Rachel and Kurt.

The three just stared at each other, their drunken minds confused as to what was supposed to happen next.

Then, Rachel reached out a hand, grabbed the bottle and turned it so it was facing her. Before Blaine could back away, the girl had climbed into his lap and began kissing him full on the mouth.

And… it wasn't bad. It was weird, for sure. But nothing too terrible. It was Blaine's first kiss, and while it wasn't with a boy he liked, which he'd definitely prefer, Blaine was enjoying it.

When Rachel finally broke away from him, Blaine looked up too see Kurt standing. He turned and ran out of the common room, with a look of betrayal on his face.

* * *

Kurt couldn't help but feel a bit… betrayed.

Rachel was his best friend, the only one besides his father who he could trust, and here she was, _kissing_ the very man she promised him she wouldn't get close to.

"_You can't let him grow on you Rach. I see how you get with lost puppies, and I'm not letting it happen again."_

_Rachel pouted. "First of all, Blaine isn't a lost puppy. He's just a _boy_ that I happen to think is _nice_."_

"_The last time you said that it was about Finn, and we both know how that worked out." Kurt's voice faltered a bit as he spoke of his stepbrother. Neither of them knew if he was dead, infected, or still struggling to stay alive on his own._

"_Kurt, he isn't my type. Trust me." She turned to leave, but not before adding, "And if it's that important to you, then I'll try not to get close to him. I promise."_

_Liar, _Kurt thought as he watched her kiss Blaine deeply. There was definitely tongue. Hoping that they would stop soon, he waited by patiently with his eyes focused on the floor beneath him. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking, but whenever Kurt looked up at the two, he couldn't help but find the way Blaine's mouth was moving unbelievably…sexy.

All pleasant thoughts left Kurt's head when he heard his friend emit a loud moan into Blaine's mouth. He felt his face flush with a number of emotions as he stood up.

Rachel and Blaine broke apart and looked up at him in surprise. Not wanting to have to explain, he turned and dashed out of the common room. He hoped that they hadn't noticed the tears that were stinging his eyes.

* * *

By the time he made it back to his room, Kurt was still crying out of pure embarrassment. And confusion.

Definitely confusion.

"I hate being drunk." He whispered to himself. He wouldn't be in this situation if _Blaine_ hadn't come prancing into the picture. _God_, Rachel was so _stupid_.

She knew that she couldn't get close to anyone in a time like this. They'd discussed it so many times, and even thought about the fact that maybe they should spilt up too. Kurt _thought_ they'd agreed that they worked best as a team. They were supposed to get through this, just the two of them.

Until _god damn stupid Blaine_ arrived.

Kurt grabbed a pillow and brought it to his face, screaming into it with frustration. He hated that boy so much.

Except he didn't.

Correction: He _wanted_ to hate Blaine. But he found himself warming up to him quite quickly. It was terrifying.

He didn't want another person around, he didn't want Rachel getting close to someone, and he didn't want to give out his trust so easily. And god knows he doesn't want another crush on a straight guy.

Things would be so much easier if Blaine would just take his adorable head of curls and _leave_. But something told Kurt it wasn't going to be that easy.

At this point his head was absolutely pounding, so Kurt quickly got up and turned off the light before crawling back into bed, wishing desperately for these thoughts to go away.

* * *

_Knock._

"Kurt?"

_Knock. Knock._

"Look, I'm sorry. I know you don't like me, but can we just…talk? Please?"

Kurt groaned into his pillow. "You asshole," he whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. Come in." Kurt snapped.

Blaine opened the door a creak and poked his head through. "Thanks. I'm really sorry."

"I'm sure you are." Kurt rolled his eyes. "Come in. I take it you wanted to tell me something?"

Blaine's eyes were bloodshot and tired, and his hair was fluffier than Kurt had ever seen it. _Not adorable. Nope, not at all._

"I'm sorry. About earlier, and about just being here. I know you don't want me to be."

"I don't" Kurt agreed.

Blaine sighed. "I get it." He got up and began to leave. Kurt bit his lip.

"Wait." Blaine turned around. "I—I don't hate you."

Blaine raised his eyebrow.

"Okay, I get it; I've been acting like a bitch. And…I'm sorry. I'm just scared." Kurt suddenly felt extremely vulnerable.

Blaine's eyes became sympathetic and he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Scared of what?"

"Scared of losing everyone. My dad's gone—don't tell me otherwise, we both know it's true— my brother's gone, my friends are gone… All that's left is Rachel. And now I'm afraid that I'm losing her to you." Kurt inhaled deeply.

"Oh god… Kurt, I don't mean to make you upset. I've been trying to leave since the moment I got here. I can tell that I'm bothering you. I don't want to do that. I just—"

"Shh. No, stop it." Kurt took in another deep breath. "You can't leave now. I don't know why, but I feel like that would just make everything worse." He looked down at his hands. "God, what's wrong with me…"

"Kurt, you're hung-over and confused. How about I just leave you alone for a little while? I don't want you stressing out so much."

Kurt looked up and met Blaine's eyes. "Can I ask you a question?"

Blaine nodded.

"Why are you so nice to me? I've been nothing but rude to you since you got here."

"I—I don't know. I like you, Kurt. I don't know why or how, but I do. I'd like to think we'd get along if you gave me another chance."

Kurt smiled at him. "Thank you."

Blaine let out a relieved sigh, and was headed towards the door to leave when Kurt called his name once again.

"Blaine? Are you and Rachel dating now? Because I don't know if I'd be okay with that."

Blaine laughed at him. "Kurt, I'm gay. I'm not planning on dating Rachel any time soon." He waved at Kurt before turning around and closing the door behind him.

He left to quickly to notice the smile small growing across Kurt's blushing face.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to leave a review, and you can also find me on tumblr! (my url is undercoverklainer)**

**Until next time :)**

**~Emily**


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